After walking by several times in disgust, I took the picture below at an Atlanta-area LA Fitness a couple of weeks ago. The fact that the sign was still up well past the stated July 7th start date simply reinforces my assertion that the whole scam reeks of incompetence.
I honestly hesitated to write this post because I didn’t want it to seem like I was being a spoiled sport by “outting” a competitor. However, I decided that I just couldn’t let this go because, in this case, I’m writing from the perspective of an educated client – not the owner of Cafe Physique – as I’m a regular at LA Fitness despite the fact that I own a personal training company. So here goes…
Really? I don’t think so.
If, after reading this sign, you’re wondering, “So what’s the big deal?”, we need to talk. Call me. On the other hand, if you’re stuck trying to figure out how in the aitch-ee-double-tooth-picks they can promise that participants will lose a pound a DAY, you’re not alone. In short, this sign is ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous.
First of all, no one who will be lured tricked into signing up for this training program will lose a pound a day. Second of all, even IF they somehow do lose a pound a day, it will not be a pound of fat. They will be losing fat (possibly), water, and muscle. Great. So along with this crazy lose-a-pound-a-day workout sandwich, you’ll also get a side of completely-messed-up-metabolism with gain-back-all-the-weight-and-then-some for dessert.
This sign makes me mad because it’s only partially true, and in the words of Mark Twain, “A half-truth is the most cowardly of lies.” You will likely lose weight if you participate in their advertised program. However, you will not lose a pound every day, and you certainly won’t keep it off. My advice? Don’t fall prey to promises for quick, fast, and in a hurry results that you know are too good to be true.
